


Sweet, Smart-assed Sixteen

by Flame_Of_Ice



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-03 08:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11528511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flame_Of_Ice/pseuds/Flame_Of_Ice
Summary: The Avengers Team are still on somewhat rocky ground following Civil War. However, having recently discovered Spider-Man's true identity, and with an invitation to Peter's sixteenth birthday party, could the youngest Avenger be the catalyst for the team to genuinely reunite?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work very respectfully references and follows on from the events in 'Five Times Tony Didn’t Need to Worry About Peter', by grilledcheesing (here's the link: http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/25837284). It is an amazing piece of work, so if you haven’t read it, go find it. My fic probably won’t make sense otherwise. I am simply bouncing off the total genius of grilledcheesing. In that fic, mention is made of Peter's upcoming 16th birthday (during the summer holidays), and I couldn't resist taking that idea and running with it. 
> 
> My fic is also a nod to Trust Falls by garamonder (https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483148), another great piece of Spiderman: Homecoming fan fiction which delves into Peter’s dynamic with the Avengers.

SAM

What do you get when you combine high-powered alien tech with an angry, screwed-up virologist? _A big effing headache, that’s what_ , thought Sam, as he climbed tiredly back into the plane.

Steve sat down heavily on one side of him and Natasha sat more gracefully in the seat on his other side. Rhodey, who was newly returned to active duty, sat on Nat’s other side. Clint, Wanda, Vision and Scott all took places in the seats opposite. Clint had a couple of dirt smudges on his face, and Wanda and Scott just looked plain exhausted, their heads leaning back against the aircraft frame.

Sam watched Tony moved past them all to the cockpit, before leaning his own head back against the cool metal.

It hadn’t been the most difficult mission they’d ever faced. Honestly, things had gone fairly smoothly, by recent standards. Still, there was a tension to the team, the kind that spoke of hurt and betrayal and disappointment. In the field, they all worked smoothly and efficiently. Cooped up together after a fight, an awkward silence reigned.

Tony returned to the back of the plane. He sat down hard on the steps and, not for the first time, Sam noticed the lines in Tony’s face. Tony hadn’t been the youngest of men when he’d started the superhero gig and now…Sam wondered how many more years of fight Tony had left in him.

The billionaire shed his Iron Man suit, revealing his favourite Black Sabbath t-shirt and worn jeans beneath. Tony cleared his throat loudly and eight heads turned in his direction.

“So,” Tony began, sounding oddly hesitant. “The kid turns sixteen in two weeks time.”

“Jesus,” Clint exclaimed quietly. “I can barely remember being sixteen.”

Sam tried to wrap his head around it. Fifteen years old and the kid named Peter had already taken on a dangerous arms dealer of alien weapons (and won), lain beneath a collapsed building (twice), had his heart restarted (once), and judging by all the YouTube clips Sam had watched in the last couple of weeks, Peter had also spent countless hours during the past year taking on random, run-of-the-mill criminals.  

Sam didn’t know much else about the kid but he already knew enough to respect and care about the youngest Avenger. Pulling Peter out from beneath a huge pile of rubble a couple of weeks ago was high on his list of things he never wanted to repeat.

“How’s he doing?” Wanda asked.

Tony stared blankly at the floor for a moment before visibly shuddering. “His bones have all fully healed. His cast came off three days ago. His limp has gone.” Tony sighed. “He’s getting back to normal. Well, normal for him.”

Tony continued to stare at the floor with a haunted expression on his face. Sam would have sworn Tony Stark wasn’t capable of that kind of expression, had he not been witnessing it for himself.

Sam had initially mentally blamed Tony for dragging the kid into the Avengers, however Natasha had since pointed out that Peter had been web-slinging before Tony found him. Sam still thought Tony was culpable, there was no doubt in his mind that Tony had encouraged the kid in one way or another. However, having witnessed Tony’s wrenching fear for Peter as they tried to reach the trapped teen, Sam no longer had the heart to chastise Tony for his part in the kid’s activities.

In the silence that followed Tony’s reply the other Avengers exchanged significant looks. Eventually, it was Steve who broke the silence.

“So…his birthday?”

Tony snapped out of his trance-like state. “Um, yeah. Sweet, smart-assed sixteen. I can’t believe the little geekazoid has almost made it.” An attempt at flippancy which fell flat, as Tony ran a hand over his face.

“Anywho, the kid was planning to just have a quiet birthday with his Aunt, his best friend, Happy and,” Tony cleared his throat, “um…me. But I figure, fuck that.”

Sam practically felt Steve’s wince at Tony’s language.

“So I was thinking of throwing him a proper party, Avengers style.” Tony continued. “His best friend, his Aunt and Happy all know he’s Spider-Man. So, I thought he might appreciate a party attended by some more friendly faces who are in the know.”

Tony looked at them each in turn, before looking down again.

“No obligation. The kid’s not expecting anyone else to attend, and I don’t expect it of any of you either, but I know that if some of you managed to make it along he’d be more thrilled than a boy scout with a new badge. I was thinking a pool party, just a quiet little affair in keeping with my usual style.”

Natasha snorted.

“A huge, overblown monstrosity of an event, then?” She joked.

Tony managed a small smile.

“Pete’s told me he just wants pizza and ice-cream, so that’s what he’s getting. Well, that and a karaoke machine, and one of those Velcro wall trampoline thingies, and maybe a giant waterslide.”

It was Scott’s turn to snort in amusement. “Can I bring Hope?” he asked. “She’d like to meet Peter too, someday.”

Tony thought about it. “Let me check with the kid,” he replied. “It’s his secret identity. It should be his choice about who gets to know.” He looked at Steve and Clint in turn. “I can ask him about Sharon and Laura too.”

Steve nodded. “That would be good, Tony. When is it then, this party?”

Tony made a show of checking the calendar on his watch. “I was thinking next Saturday, noon.”

“I’m in,” said Sam. The others all chimed in affirmatively. 

Tony looked relieved. “Thanks,” he returned gruffly. “It’ll mean a lot to him.”

Sam suspected that was Tony-speak for ‘it’ll mean a lot to me’.

“Presents?” Rhodey asked.

“He won’t be expecting any.” Tony replied with a shrug. “That’s the kind of kid he is.”

“Still,” said Sam. “If we wanted to get him a present?”

Tony thought for a moment. “His home computer is so ancient it should be in a museum, so if any of you wanted to chip in towards a new laptop for him, there’s that. Also, his wardrobe could do with a major overhaul and he’s into science and technology…that help?”

“Sure does,” Steve gave Tony a small smile as he said it. “What about you? What’re you getting him?”

“Who says I’m getting him anything?”

“ _Tony_.”

“Alright, alright. A shiny, new toy which he can use to give me further heart attacks.” They all watched as the billionaire slowly hauled himself off the steps and headed back towards the cockpit. “One with a million safety protocols built into it.”

 

* * *

 

STEVE

When the plane touched down at Avengers HQ everyone was quiet as they disembarked. This was the first time they had all been together at the new headquarters, and Steve took in the façade of the new facility, before turning towards the others, preparing to make his excuses and head to his car.

“Mr Stark! Tony!” Came a voice from the facility entrance. “How’d it go?”

Steve turned to see Peter walking towards them, dressed in a t-shirt (with some weird kind of equation printed on it) and jeans. _He really just looks like an average teenager_ , Steve mused. Not like someone who could lift buses with his bare hands. Not like someone who threw himself into extreme danger repeatedly to save others.

Steve recalled a conversation with Natasha only two days ago. The Black Widow had apparently been doing some digging for information. _He gives Tony a run for his money in the intelligence stakes, Steve_ , she’d said. _That webbing of his? He invented and manufactured it himself._

Peter loped over to Tony, gave him a once over and grinned.

“You’ve seen better days,” he announced.

“Geez, thanks kid. We can’t all look like we belong in the under 12’s queue, y’know”, replied Tony, a mock scowl on his face, “and to return to your question, it went fine. Nothing we couldn’t handle.”

“Great.” Peter nodded, before turning to smile somewhat shyly at the other Avengers. “Hi guys.”

“Pete.”

“Hey, Peter.”

“Bud.”

“How’s it going, kid?”

“Great, thanks. Much better,” and the kid sounded genuine.

 _He looks a heck of a lot better too,_ thought Steve. Not that that would be hard, thinking back to the state he’d been in when they pulled him out of the rubble. In his mind, Steve heard Tony’s frantic denials of “no, no, no, no” again, in a panicked voice that was so unlike Tony it had changed how Steve saw the man.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, then Steve gestured towards his car, “Um, well, I think Sam and I should probably get going.”

“Yeah, me too.” Chimed in Scott, as he picked up his backpack.

“Hang on, hang on.” Peter interjected. “Why not stay for dinner?” The kid looked around at them all. “You should see the amount of food Tony’s got squashed in the fridge. It’s like he’s trying to feed an army.”

Tony rubbed his neck. “No, just a hollow-legged teenager who keeps crashing here,” he snarked.

“Seriously,” continued Peter. “You guys should stay and eat before you hit the road, shouldn’t they Tony?”

Tony, Steve observed, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else right now.

“Yeah, sure. Stay for…um…dinner.” _Real convincing, Stark_ , Steve thought.

He shook his head. “Nah, thanks for the offer but we ought to hit the road.” 

Steve met Peter’s eyes and recognised the sharp intelligence in them as they flickered between himself and Tony.

“Look, I know it’s none of my business,” the teen started tentatively, “but you guys really need to do some more trust falls, or something.”

Steve frowned. “What’s a trust fall?”

Vision piped in: “I, too, am unfamiliar with this term.”

Peter’s eyes lit up.

“It’s where you stand with your back to someone you trust, or want to trust better…y’gotta be less than one big stride away from them,” the Avengers all watched as Peter positioned himself with his back to Tony. The teen glanced briefly over his shoulder, to check that Tony was watching him, “and then you fall backwards and trust that they’ll catch you.”

His explanation finished, Peter did exactly that. Tony reached further forward than he needed to, his arms going all the way around Peter’s chest as he caught him in a white-knuckle grip.

Steve watched the tight expression on Tony’s face, as the man slowly pushed Peter back up into a standing position.

“Easy,” announced Peter.

Tony’s hands went to Peter’s shoulders in a gesture that struck Steve as oddly parental. Tony, he observed, was suddenly blinking a lot.

“Kid’s right.” Tony said, in a clipped, rough voice. “You should stay for dinner. Let him chew someone else’s ear off, for once.”

With that, Tony turned and marched towards the compound. Steve looked at the other Avengers, taking a long moment to observe Peter, before gesturing towards the facility.

“Shall we?” He said, as he followed Tony.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys. No trust falls yet. Thanks for all the kudos and comments though. I've really appreciated them.

TONY

Tony watched out the corner of his eye as Peter chopped vegetables while simultaneously blabbering on to Natasha about his attempts to improve his hand-to-hand combat technique. Natasha had a fond and attentive expression on her face as she listened and stirred the wok.

On Peter’s other side, Scott rinsed the boiled rice and chipped in his two cents worth to the conversation.

Tony sensed, rather than heard, someone come to stand at his shoulder.

“Y’know Tony, he really is too young to be doing what we do.” There was no judgement in Steve’s voice, but still…God-damn Steve. Not even here for five minutes and already pontificating at him. Between that and Steve’s choice of topic, Tony couldn’t control the hot anger that suddenly coursed through him.

He turned to taller man. “You think I don’t know that?” Tony’s voice was harsh, and probably louder than it should be, given that the kid was nearby. Tony reminded himself of Peter’s enhanced senses.

“Let’s discuss this elsewhere.” He said in a tight voice, gesturing for Steve to follow him to his sound-proofed office. As he walked, the anger built within him, bubbling over once they were face to face in the enclosed office.

“You think I don’t know that?!” Tony exclaimed again. “Why do you think I told you to bench him that day? Huh?”

Steve opened his mouth but Tony was on a roll.

“Do you have _any_ idea how much stress that kid has caused me during the past year?! Do you even know the first thing about why he refuses to stop doing it? Do you have a god-damned clue about how much time and effort I have put into trying to protect him from himself?”

Tony slumped against his desk and eyed his whisky decanter.

“But I can’t change who he is Steve.” He looked up at the other man. “To be honest, I wouldn’t want to change him. He’s got more potential and courage and goodness in his little pinky finger than…”

Tony shook his head and continued. “He has a right to choose how to live his life, and a right to risk it, even at fifteen. I’ve already tried clipping his wings and believe me when I say it backfired _spectacularly._ ”

Steve was quiet for a moment before sighing and leaning back against the office wall.

“Maybe it’s not about keeping him out of the fray then.” He mused. “Maybe it’s gotta be about training him up and watching his back while he learns the ropes.”

“No shit. What do you _think_ I’ve been trying to do for the past ten months?!” Tony knew he needed to calm down but this conversation was stressful and difficult on about ten different levels. “But between daily voicemail and text messages, monitoring protocols, suit upgrades and pep talks there’s only so much I can do!”

Tony could feel his hands starting to shake. To cover it, he walked over to the sideboard and poured himself a whiskey, keeping his back to Steve.

“Sounds like you could do with some help mentoring him.” Came Steve’s quiet voice.

It wasn’t what Tony had been expecting. Tony paused before answering in as neutral a voice as he could manage.

“Maybe.” He turned around.

“Perhaps Nat could help him refine his hand-to-hand combat.” Steve offered. “Clint might be willing to help out with that too.”

Tony looked down at his whisky and nodded, uncomfortable.

“I could work on strategy and tactics with him, if you like.” Steve offered again.

Tony looked up. “That…that would be appreciated.” He managed, grudgingly.

“Have you had Rhodey working with him?” Steve asked.

Tony shook his head. “Didn’t want to bother him, not after everything…”

In his mind, Tony saw Rhodey hitting the airfield ground again with that sickening ‘thump’ that had given him nightmares for weeks.

Steve wandered over to the sideboard and, to Tony’s surprise, helped himself to the whisky.

“You should ask him.” Steve suggested. “I think he’d be flattered.”

“Perhaps,” Tony replied, making a show of studying his whisky intently.

“How many more weeks of summer holidays has Peter got left?”

Tony thought about it. “About seven.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” Tony asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. 

“You feel like sharing the load?”

Tony finally looked at Steve, who wasn’t quite smiling, but had a sympathetic look in his eyes.

Tony held Steve's eye for a second and then sighed in defeat.

“Why the hell not,” he replied, clinking his tumbler against Steve’s.

 

* * *

 

PETER

Peter couldn’t help the wide grin that took over his face as he watched Ned.

“This…this is…” Ned was, for once, speechless. Instead, Peter’s best friend resorted to turning in a circle, taking photos of everything with his phone as he went, finally stopping to gape up at the Avengers ‘A’ on the lobby wall.

Eventually, Ned turned to him and in serious, awed tones pronounced “I can die happy now. This is…I can’t believe you live here now dude!”

“Only a couple of days a week, and only for summer.”

“Still,” said Ned, before a new thought crossed his mind and he stopped dead. In a hushed squeak he whispered, “Are any of the other Avengers here right now?”

“I don’t think so”. Peter replied.

“But you’re not certain.” Countered Ned.

“No.”

“Captain American _could_ be here somewhere. In this building. At this very moment.”

“Yes, Ned. It’s possible.”

“Whoa.”

Peter showed Ned the room allocated to him, and Ned spent fifteen minutes being suitably impressed by the massive TV, built in gadgets and expensive furnishings. They were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.

May smiled at them. “You’re probably going to want to come downstairs boys. It seems Tony didn’t stop at pizza and ice-cream.”

Peter and Ned shared a look before racing down the stairs. Ned ran straight into Peter where he stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring at the set-up in the living area.

“Is that…a karaoke machine?” he asked no-one in particular.

“Yup.” Replied Tony, as he strolled into the room. “I took the liberty. But if you’ve got your heart set on Pin the Tail on the Donkey…”

“Ha ha,” said Peter, wondering if Aunt May had ratted to Tony about his habit of singing in the shower.

“There’s a couple more crowd-pleasers outside.” Tony motioned indifferently while sauntering into the kitchen, apparently unaware that Ned was trailing after him and doing his best impression of a goldfish.

Recognising that Ned was a lost cause, Peter wandered outside. He took in the trampoline opposite the padded Velcro wall, and the massive waterslide that had somehow magically appeared abutting the pool, and shook his head.

Typical Tony.

“Peter!” he turned to see Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov walking towards him.

He smiled in greeting and started to ask what brought them to HQ, until he saw the present in Natasha’s hands.

He looked between them. “Tony told you, didn’t he?”

“He sure did. Happy Birthday, kid.” Clint said, as Nat handed Peter the gift.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere around the time that Steve Rogers turned up, Peter poked Ned.

“Are you broken?” He asked.

Ned nodded, staring up at a casually dressed Steve. This was the quietest Ned had ever been for more than ten minutes.

“They’re just people, Ned.”

Ned looked scandalised. “Just people? _Just people?!_ Dude!”

“Hi,” said Steve, holding out his hand. “You must be Ned.”

 A mute Ned nodded and slowly extended his hand for a shake.  

“You broke him.” Peter told Steve, who grinned in response.

 

* * *

 

It was distinctly weird, Peter thought, having so many people (including almost the entire Avengers team) sitting around watching him open presents. He looked at the new iPad and detachable keyboard in his lap, the uber-cool, close-fitting leather jacket draped over the arm of the couch (he was totally wearing that to school at some point), the old fashioned compass and swiss army knife (which Peter suspected had more history to them than Steve let on), the Lego AT-AT kit and the array of books and gift vouchers piled up around him.

_The uncoolest thing you could do right now Parker, is to cry_ , Peter thought, fighting off the lump in his throat as he became overwhelmed by the generosity. He forced the tide of emotions down.

Still, something must have shown on his face as he looked up at Aunt May, Ned, Happy, Tony and the rest of the assembled Avengers.

“You guys,” he said haltingly, “this is…incredible. Thank you so much.”

Tony stepped forward and placed a small box on the coffee table in front of Peter.”

“Last one.” The mogul announced, turning his head to look around the room in a display of disinterest. 

Slowly Peter picked up the box and opened it. Inside was an Audi keyring. Attached to it were two keys imprinted with the Audi logo.

Peter’s head whipped up to look at Tony. “No way.”

“Holy shit,” squawked Ned.

“ _Tony_ ,” said May, in a ‘this is far too much’ tone of voice.

Tony look unrepentant. “If he wants a girlfriend, he’s going to need a car that compensates for his appalling inability to socialise with the opposite sex.”

“ _Tony_ ,” chastised Natasha and Wanda.   

“It’s an R8, kid. The closest thing to a chick magnet that Audi makes and not cheap, so if you break it you’re getting coal for Christmas. Plus, it’s got a few add-ons of my own design.”

“Holy shit,” squawked Ned again.

“There’s no point you getting a driver’s licence if you don’t have anything to drive. Just don’t get yourself killed behind the wheel.”

“No way,” whispered Peter again.

“No?” Tony snagged the keys from Peter’s hand and passed them to Happy. “Happy, go down to the lower garage and return this to the showroom, please. Apparently, Peter doesn’t…”

Tony didn’t get any further before Peter had leapt over the coffee table, webbing the keys into his hand as he did so, and racing towards the garage, Ned huffing and puffing in his wake.

“Peter Parker, don’t you dare move that car an inch without an adult riding shotgun!” hollered May.

The Avengers all looked at one another with amused smiles and grins.

“Tony you've gone soft," declared Wanda. 

"He needs wheels so May doesn't have to drive him everywhere anymore. That's all." Tony defended. 

"Marshmallow soft," agreed Nat. 

Tony ignored the snickers all the way down to the garage. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was more fluff. If anyone would like to see Peter Parker getting some training, Avengers-style, or Peter getting back into the swing of things (and Tony trying to be cool about it), hit me up. Alternatively, if you've got an idea about where you'd like this to go next, feel free to voice it. No promises, but I'll consider all suggestions. 
> 
> Why an Audi? I dunno. I watched Tom Holland play Peter is an Audi advertisement and so Peter's getting an Audi.


End file.
